Succubus Heat CHAPTER 27

While Id been pretty confident in telling solidifying that Dante had presumable skipped town, I nonetheless stopped by his shop the next day. It had never been very prosperous flavour to begin with, and instantly the signs of abandonment were clear. The neon PSYCHIC sign was gone. The blinds were also gone, showing a room fifty-fifty bargonr than before. The FOR LEASE sign on the door was probably the most telling pinch that Dante was gone for good.In the wake of what had happened with solidification, it was hard to bash what to think ab aside Dante. My heart to the highest degree didnt call for the energy for it. I had cared about him, absolutely. Hed suited my indulgent phase, and despite his blackened soul, there were parts of him that were give careable. And above wholly, it appeared that hed cared about me, misguided or not. I wasnt adroit about the deal hed made with Grace, provided I was glad he hadnt been there to represent Jerome and Meis punishment. No one deserved that, not even Dante. I hoped wherever he was, hed test to start a new carriage-maybe one that could lighten his soul a little. I well knew, however, that humans with damned souls rarely rec all overed.Later that evening, I drove over to Capitol Hill. scratch and Cody were hosting a cocktail party to celebrate Jeromes harvest-festival, though I half-suspected they simply wanted to drink away the sorrows of losing the sun.How can we celebrate Jerome being grit when hes not even here? Tawny wanted to know. She was back to her normal, Amazonian blond self and was hol expandg her martini glass in a precarious way. Peter couldnt light upon his eyes dark it.I was nursing a gimlet out of politeness. The vampires had gone out of their way to get Grey Goose and fresh lime, but truthfully, I was a little burned out on alcohol. It seemed like Id been perpetu bothy drunk these last four months. I was not burned out on cigarettes to that degree, but I was trying very hard to f ragmentise the habit once much.Jeromes got plenty to keep himself busy, I said. Were just drinking in his honor. that he is staying, veracious? asked Cody.We all turned to Hugh. Like the rest of us, Hughd had his abilities restored, and Id honestly expected him to be a lot happier having his imp vision back. Instead, he seemed very serious, and I could have sworn he was watching me when I wasnt looking.Yep. He and Mei schmoozed the corporate guy pretty good and pulled in enough favors to get substitute from others. Cedric and Nanette both swore up and down that no one else was better qualified to run Seattle than him.Nanette finally caved, huh? I swirled the ice around in my glass. Of course, knowing Jerome owes her now probably makes her feel secure in her territory.Cody shook his head. Still. Grace went through an awful lot to try to pull this off, between the Canadians and all the wheeling and dealing. And Dante. He shot me an apologetic look that I waved off.I dont know, said Peter. He finally seemed convinced that Tawny wasnt going to ruin his upholstery. Shes a middle prudence demon with so-so power. Doing what she did-seizing the opportunity when she thought Jerome looked weak-was probably the closest shell ever get to ruling over an area like this.What do you mean? Would she be stuck forever? Never have her own domain? asked Tawny, frowning.She might have eventually gotten assigned control of some nonexistent town in middle America, but I doubt much more. Hugh still looked oddly speculative. Clearly, she didnt want to. Neither does Mei, from the looks of it.So much for it being better to reign in brilliance than serve in Heaven, I said, pleased with my own wit. Of course, I think were going to see a lot more in Meis career. She might be so-so in power, but shes got a plan.Have you noticed how shes a lot less scary alone? asked Cody.It was the matching clothes, said Peter sagely. When they dressed-up alike, it was too much like those girls from T he Shining .More laughter and conversation ensued, though I eventually grew quiet and simply listened. Maybe I could be the life of the party, like Seth had said, but this group could do okay without me. I took a certain amount of contentment by being back with them and having our lives returned to normal-such as they were. I could never be human again, but these were the people I wanted to be damned with.At one point, I got up to trade my empty glass for water and discovered Hugh had followed me into the kitchen. He still looked troubled. The others were laughing and public lecture, providing cover for our conversation.Whats going on? I asked. I thought youd be happy.I am, I am, he said. Believe me, I am. God, that was miserable.I couldnt help a smile. Hugh had hit his stride with being a lesser immortal. He was agone the novice stages of Cody and Tawny and could fully reap the benefits of his position. However, he wasnt old enough to have acquired all the jaded centuries Peter a nd I had. Out of all of us, I didnt doubt that Hugh had suffered the most.Then whats going on?He hesitated, and again, I was struck by how out of character he was behaving. Georgina, has Seth done eitherthing deleterious deep? Rob a bank? Cheat on taxes?Of course not, I said, more confused than ever.Has heor welldid he do eachthing, uh, bad with you?To my chagrin, I blushed. Youd think nothing would make a succubus self-conscious, but I still tried to maintain that line between my private and rail line sex lives. My silent response was enough for Hugh.Fuck.What? I asked. We did it when I was in stasis. I didnt take all of his energy. I didnt shorten his life. And we havent done it since Jerome came back. Its over. Hes back with Maddie.Hugh raise an eyebrow. Oh?I realized how im viable it was for us and convinced him to go back to her. I really laid on the guilt. Just mentioning what had happened made me ache all over again.Im sure you did, Hugh said dryly.What do you mean?Geor gina He sighed. on that points no easy way to explain this. When I first-class honours degree met Seth, his soul was likea supernova. It lit up a room. That guy had such a generous spirit, it was insane.Had.And now? The conclude was slowly creeping in on me.Now, theres a touch on him. A stain on his soul. He cheated on Maddie with youand is back with her, keeping that from herThe room started swaying, and I forced myself to focus on Hugh. What we did, it wasnt sleazy. We arewerein love. It was sweet-that is, it meant something.Maybe it did, sweetie. Maybe the planets aligned when you made love. But regardless of what happened between you, he wronged her-and he feels it now. That sin is darkening his soul.How dark? I asked, my voice almost a whisper now. If he were a hit by a car decline nowHughs face was both hard and sad. Hed head right to Hell.Oh my God. I collapsed back against the counter. I didnt thinkdidnt realizeSince I hadnt been a succubus, I hadnt been thinking like o ne. I hadnt worried about shortening his life or exhausting him because there was no need. While Id known we were both deceiving Maddie and had felt a fair amount of guilt over it, Id never considered it in terms of damnation. Id turned off that part of my life, the part of being a succubus that counted and tallied souls-the main part of my job.Which was stupid of me. Humans didnt need us to sin. They did it all the time on their own and did just as good a job-if not better-than we could. I didnt have to be a succubus to make Seth sin. I could have been any woman, any woman hed had an affair with. Sin was subjective, too, and different people would feel it differently. For someone like Seth, doing what he did would leave a harsh mark-and me making him feel guilty about it hadnt helped.This is worse, I said. I laughed, but it was the kind of hysterical laughter that could segue to tears at any moment. It would have been better if wed had sex when we were dating. Id have taken years o ff his life, but his soul would have stayed pure-and thats what matters in the long run. Instead, I was so unforgiving about refusing to do itand now look. Look what I did.Hugh caught my fall and squeezed it. Im sorry.Is thereis there any way he can undo it?You know the answer as well as me. Sure, he can eventually swing the pendulum the other way. But its hard. Very hard.Hes a good person, I said stoutly.Maybe, but that may not be enough anymore.Hed need a deal with God, I muttered.I stared at the floor, studying the tiles absentmindedly. What had I done? How could I have been so stupid? Had I been so blinded by love and lust that Id been oblivious to the principles that had dictated my immortal vocation these long centuries?Georgina, Hugh said hesitantly. I looked at him. Theres something elsejust a heads up. You know this as well as I do. When upright people screw up like thisthey do try to rebound in their way. The guilts got to be eating him. People like that try to do things to make up for it. Rash things. Something tells me hell be like that.Thanks for the warning, I said. Though I cant imagine hed do something that could make this any worse.The imp cut me a look. Sweetie, hes human. Dont underestimate him.Hugh was right.The next day, I went to the condo builders office and talked more in-depth with the real estate agent that handled their sales. We chatted for a while and talked numbers, though I still couldnt shake the feeling that I was doing this without thinking it through. The pictures were nice, the floor plan was nice, and the options were nice. Yet, I didnt know if this was just some impulsive reaction to the ups and downs in my life.Then, when he took me to the unit itself and showed me the balcony, I knew. It was a beautiful day, one that wasnt true summer yet but could give us enough hope that winter was just about washed-up. Puget Sound was deep blue, and the downtown skyline gleamed in the sun against a cloudless sky. To the west, the O lympic Mountains were visible for the first time in over a month, their peaks still heavy with snow. As often happened with this kind of weather, people turned out in droves, treating it like it was high summer. Families came out, shorts came out. This part of Alki didnt have a true beach-that was at a park a little further down-but the water was still just a stones throw away from my building, separated only by the small road and narrow strip of grass. I watched the waves break against the shore and realized this was where I needed to be.I want to make an offer, I told him.I knew Maddie would want to know, so I made sure she was the first one I told when I ended up back in Queen Anne later that night. It was early evening, my last day before returning to a real full-time schedule, and I swung by the store to catch her and tell her. Only, she sought me out first, with news of her own.GeorginaId barely entered when she grabbed my arm and pulled me off into the cookbooks. Hey, I laugh ed. merry youre in a good mood. Ive got news.Me tooHer face was radiant, and after all that had happened, it made me happy to see her like this. I couldnt help a return grin. Whats up?She glanced around covertly, then lowered her voice. You were right.About what?About Seth needing time-about him being preoccupied.Oh lord. Hed finally slept with her again, now that things had ended with us. I cant advance I was happy to have this news delivered to me, but for her sake, I was at least glad she could stop worrying.Wow, thats great, Mad-He was waiting to proposeShe shot her hand up to my face so quickly that for half a moment, I thought she was going to punch me. But, no, there was no impact-unless you counted the brilliant glitter of the engagement ring dazzling my eyes.Oh my God. But itits so soonI know, she said, breathless from her excitement. I cant believe it. And I mean, yeah, weve only been going out for about four months, but Seth says we can have a long engagement, that he just wanted to commit things between us.Of course he did. When upright people screw up like thisthey do try to rebound in their way. The guilts got to be eating him. People like that try to do things to make up for it. Rash things. How could I be surprised? Id be get a succubus because Id cheated on my husband and been caught. Id sold my soul in an effort to blot that act out, to make him and everyone else I knew forget me. why was this any different?You dont think Maddie turned uneasy, once more seeking my approval and advice. You dont think its too fast, do you? Have I made a mistake? I mean, even if we wait awhile for the weddingI kept smiling. Its fine, Maddie. Theres no time frame thats set for everyone. If its what feels right to you, then youve got to do it.Her grin lit back up. Oh, thank you. Im so glad to hear you say that. I mean, I said yes, and Ive been excitedI just didnt want it to seem like I was rushing in. She glanced back down, admiring the ring. I realized somethi ng.Its a diamond.She gave me a curious look. Of course. Why wouldnt it be? approximately engagement rings are.Last year, Id teased Seth about getting married, and hed said that if he ever did, hed give his bride-to-be a ruby because he thought diamonds were ordinary, and getting married was extraordinary.I stared into the stones glittering facets, puzzled. Did you pick it out? Had you told him you wanted a diamond?Nope. It had never come up. He just got it for me. Why?I shook my head and tried to look happy for her. No reason. Its beautiful. Congratulations. I turned to leave. Ill see you tomorrow.Georgina, wait.I paused and looked back.What was your news?Wh-oh. Yeah. Im buying the place in Alki.Seriously? I swear, she almost seemed more excited about that than the engagement. When will it be done?July.Oh, wow. Thats great. You could have such great summer parties.Yep. Lets hope it gets finished on time.She sighed happily and gave me a quick hug. Isnt this a great day? Good news fo r both of us.Yeah, I agreed. Great.I walked home, too stunned over the engagement news to process it much. Considering Hughs prediction, there wasnt much to process. Id convinced Seth that he and I were a fantasy, that he needed to settle into reality and take what good he had with Maddie. Seth had believed me and tried to make it up to her-make it up to himself, even-with this hasty engagement. He was not a rash person usually, but the extreme circumstances had turned him into one.My phone rang about half a block from the store. I could recognize Vancouvers area code by now, but I didnt know the number. For all I knew, Evan wanted me to smuggle them some spray paint across the border. To my relief, it was Kristin.Hey, I said. Hows it going?Fine. Well, better than fine. Great actually. There were a fewer awkward seconds of silence. Me and CedricwereThe first spark of enthusiasm Id felt in a while leapt up in me. Really? You guys are athing?Yeah. There was wonder in her voice, like she could hardly believe it. He told me that you were the one who said that he should go out with me.Oh, well. Ijust suggested he was looking in the wrong places.Georgina, there is no way I can thank you enough for this. Her voice was brimming with emotion, something I wouldnt have thought possible of the businesslike imp. This isIve wanted this for so long. Loved him for so long. And he never noticed me until you made him just pause and look. Thats exactly how he said it too. That hed been so busy chasing everything else that hed never seen what was in front of him.I thought I might get choked up too. Im glad for you, Kristin. Really. You deserve it.She laughed. Most would say us damned souls dont deserve anything.Were like anyone else, deserving both good and bad. Im not sure being damned has anything to do with it.She was quiet for a moment, and when she communicate again, her voice was low, almost hard to hear. I actually stopped walking and stepped off down a side street to g et away from the din of traffic.Its funny you mention that, she said slowly. Becausewell, I did something for you. I suddenly had an image of Tim Hortons donuts showing up on my doorstep.Er, thats really not necessary. I didnt do that much.You did, though. To me, at least. And soI wanted to do something just as big for you. I, uh, went and looked at your contract.I caught my breath. What?Weve had a lot of paperwork to file, and I managed to work in a corporate trip.Corporate trip was a nice way of saying shed visited the inner offices of Hell.Kristinif youd been caughtI wasnt, she said proudly. And I found your contract and read it.Id come to a complete stop now. The world around me didnt exist. And?Andnothing.What do you mean nothing?I mean, theres nothing wrong with the contract. I went over and over it. Everythings in order.It cant be Niphon was trying so hard to mess with meto get me recalled. Hugh was certain it meant he was trying to shift attention from the contract.I dont kn ow about any of that, said Kristin, sounding truly sympathetic. All I know is what I read. You sold your soul and took on standard succubus servitude in exchange for every mortal you knew forgetting who you were. That sound right?YeahThats what it said. All the language was exactly as it should be.I didnt really have any response, so I gave none.Georgina, are you still there?YeahIm sorry. I just thoughtId been so certain It had been a foolish hope, that maybe somewhere there was a loophole for me. But then, I seemed to fall for those things all the time, just like I had with Nyxs dream and the impossible chance of getting pregnant while in stasis. I was as nave as Dante had said. Thanks. I really appreciate you looking.Im sorry you didnt get what you wanted. If theres anything else I can do for you-that doesnt involve breaking into records-let me know.Thanks. I will.We disconnected, and I stared bleakly at my surroundings, at the quiet residential block Id stepped off onto. There is no way, I said out loud, that this day can get any worse.A rustle behind me made me jump, and I spun around. I had thought I was alone and now felt like an idiot getting caught talking to myself. I saw no one, though. Then, a bush by the sidewalk twitched a little. I took a few steps toward it and knelt down. Yellow eyes peered out at me, followed by a piteous meow. I made the clicking sound thats universal to cat owners, and after a few moments, my observer emerged.It was a cat, a very scraggly one-and a cat I was pretty sure Id seen before. It was smaller than Aubrey, maybe younger, and I could see its ribs poking out underneath the fur, which was plane and dirty. When I petted the cats head, I noticed a dry texture to the fur that often indicated fleas. The cat seemed unsure of me-but not enough that it ran away. It mostly seemed curious for now, like it was trying to figure me out-and maybe score some food.Which was fine, because I was trying to figure it out too. Clearly, thi s cat had no owner, or if it did, that ownership needed to be revoked. I studied its yellow eyes and every frail line of its body. The cat looked so different and yetI was certain it was the one. And in a musing that was worthy of Carter, I suddenly wondered if the universe might not be done with me after all.I let the cat sniff my hand a bit longer, and then I reached out and picked it up. It was a she. She didnt fight me as I held her to my chest and walked home. In fact, she started purring. Maybe she knew me. Maybe she was just jade of fighting all the time too.When I shouldered open my door, Aubreys head immediately jerked up from where shed been napping. She made no noise, but all the fur on her back stood on end as she studied our new visitor with narrowed eyes. Roman, lying on the couch as usual, also studied us. He looked at the cat, taking in her orange and brown patched coat. Then, he looked up and met my eyes. Im not sure what he saw, but it made him smile.Let me guess. Thats a tortie.Yes, I agreed. This is a tortie.